1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device manufacturing system and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. In particular, the present invention relates to methods for controlling manufacturing apparatuses, a method for simulating a semiconductor device manufacturing process in which the foregoing methods are used, and a simulation apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, using semiconductor device manufacturing apparatuses, semiconductor devices including DRAMs have been manufactured by repeating substrate step formation, well formation, isolation, transistor formation, bit line formation, capacitor formation, and wiring formation. Such a semiconductor manufacturing process has been constituted by appropriately combining a lithography process, an etching process, heat treatment (oxidation, anneal, diffusion), an ion implantation process, a thin film formation process (CVD, sputtering, deposition), a cleaning process (resist removal, cleaning with solvent), a testing process, and the like.
In general, substrates are carried in and out of processing rooms while the atmospheres of various processing rooms are maintained and controlled, thus conducting processing in the room. In a Know system, measurement testing data obtained by inspecting an in-process or processed substrate is transferred to a central control system, in which the histories of substrates and processing rooms are managed and recorded, and in which self-diagnosis of each processing room and manufacturing apparatus is performed to output appropriate instructions for the manufacturing process written in International Laid open WO96/25760 (from page 36, line 25 to page 37, line 2).
FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a known semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus 1. The semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus 1 has an oxidation heat element 4 for conducting a hot process, an oxidation heat element controller 2 for controlling this oxidation heat element 4, and an oxide film thickness controller 3 which is connected to the oxidation heat element 4 and the oxidation heat element controller 2 and which performs process control.
This oxide film thickness controller 3 has an oxide film thickness calculation section 6 for calculating an oxide film thickness, and a calculated film thickness judgment section 7 judging or determining a calculated film thickness. When a predetermined semiconductor manufacturing process utilizing a thermochemical reaction is performed, the oxide film thickness controller 3 initiates the semiconductor manufacturing process based on process execution initial settings previously set, measures and analyzes the state of the atmosphere of a predetermined system in which the thermochemical reaction is proceeding and the change in the atmosphere at predetermined time intervals, and transmits this analysis result back to the semiconductor manufacturing process written, in Japanese Patent Laid open No. 2002-299336 (column 11, lines 5 to 48, FIG. 1).